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When I encounter BMWs on my daily drive to work almost always they want to demonstrate that their BMW can accelerate faster, handle better, or otherwise outperform the Model S. And almost invariably they put themselves in a position to be embarrassed. Do they not read the auto press or are they just living in a fantasy world? Or is it just the classic BMW driver arrogance?

+1
I was thinking the same thing today as I made a 100 mile tour around seattle and 2 different bimmers wanted to race and show me what they were made of. Of course. They ended up embarrassed and left in my dust.

As a former BMW owner, I can only speak for how I would have felt. I loved my car's performance. The only thing I would have changed would have been to remove all markings, because I didn't drive the car for status. I drove it for performance. Dealing with the Model S has to be a little bit like realizing that your precocious child is no longer the smartest and cutest one in the class.

I still have two BMWs in my garage... Though one will be up for sale in May (it's a convertible and waiting for a summer and "graduation" spike in demand) and the other is an X5, 'cause I want a 4x4 to get up to the mountains when there is fresh snow to ski on... That wasn't a problem in SoCal this winter.

My wife is irritated with all sorts of cars that try to "race" with her when she drives her Roadster... I don't notice this as much in my S in SoCal, guessing a lot of people have already been humiliated by other Model as drivers.

I hate to say it but that's not always the case. I recently had a run-in with a new M5 starting at about 80mph and it definitely had me in my P85+ over 100mph. While the Model S is a great car, its not the end all, be all of performance sedans. Additionally, if you like exercising your car at the track a BMW is definitely a better bet. From what I understand the Model S has thermal issues that keep it from doing more than a few laps at speed. I don't even think the Model S could do a lap of the Nurburgring which is a standard for any BMW.

Right, the MS starts to lose steam above 100 mph. If you do a drag race you'll absolutely own them in 1/8th mile. You'll win the 1/4 mile but they'll be coming for you fast towards the end. If you do a 1/2 mile they're way out in front.

I still have two BMWs in my garage... Though one will be up for sale in May (it's a convertible and waiting for a summer and "graduation" spike in demand) and the other is an X5, 'cause I want a 4x4 to get up to the mountains when there is fresh snow to ski on... That wasn't a problem in SoCal this winter.

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Here's my version of your post:

I still have two BMWs in my garage... Though one will be up for sale in May (it's a convertible and waiting for a summer and "graduation" spike in demand) and the other is an M5, 'cause I want a car to drive in the snow/ice/salt around here (and leave the MS in the garage).

Not all BMW drivers are like that, but even I get these M3 drivers/kids who think they can spank my M5.. ha ha ha.. that never works out good for them.

@jbruce - So, what I'm gathering here is that you are admitting to racing on a public highway at speeds of over 100mph? If so, you are a public bloody menace and do not deserve to own a driving licence let alone a Model S. Your stupid, juvenile antics will cause an accident one day, bring Tesla into disrepute, and probably kill someone (not to mention negatively affect my Tesla shares).

@jbruce - So, what I'm gathering here is that you are admitting to racing on a public highway at speeds of over 100mph? If so, you are a public bloody menace and do not deserve to own a driving licence let alone a Model S. Your stupid, juvenile antics will cause an accident one day, bring Tesla into disrepute, and probably kill someone (not to mention negatively affect my Tesla shares).

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There was a similar discussion on the Norwegian EV forum, after someone let slip that they were certain the top speed of the Model S was unchanged with FW 5.9. (There is no speed limit above 62.5 mph on any public road in Norway. And most are 50 mph.)

Legally, it's of course a very simple issue, but morally, it's a bit more complex. It is a fact that it is possible to achive speeds over 100 mph in a Model S with a substantial degree of safety. One example is on a race track, but there is no reason to think that that is the only circumstance where it is possible.

Some factors:

1. The Model S can achieve high speeds in a short distance, due to it's superb acceleration. In fact, one can go from 0 mph to 110 mph and back down to 0 mph in about 550 meters/0.34 miles. With such a small distance needed, one can actually have a fairly good overview of the entire situation.
2. Speed limits are usually closer to worst-case speed limits than best-case speed limits. So, while it can be dangerous to go over the speed limit in bad conditions (windy, ice, rain, etc), it can be safe to go more than the speed limit when conditions are better.
3. Driving abilities vary from person to person. What's "fast" for a 65 yo person who's barely driven before isn't necessarily "fast" for a 30 yo race car driver.

Maybe you're interpreting the BMW driver's motives wrong. I tend to think they have heard how fast the Tesla is, and when they encounter one in the wild they are curious to see what it can really do. We have lots of former BMW owners on this forum, so I see it as a sales opportunity since it seems they are easy converts!

BMW owners I'm sure purchase largely based on performance, so Tesla is the logical next tier!

Agree that the MS will be out of it at higher speeds. But, it's from a standstill or at low speeds that most of these encounters are sorted out to the detriment of the Beemers.

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On the Autobahn, Model S won't stand a chance at the speeds its competition will be going.
Accelerating from a red light is another matter. But then again, every current EV will outrun almost any ICE when coming from a standstill. Even when I test-drove the Zoe, I was easily able to out-accelerate S6's, M3's etc. for the first few hundred metres, but as we have a maximum speed limit of around 30 mph in our towns, there's not much to be won. The next red light will stop us all again anyway, be it in a Beetle or a Ferrari ;-)

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